There will be no Affleck + Stewart

Ben Affleck is in Washington today at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the situation in Congo. He’s been advocating for awareness in the region for a while now. Did you ever see State Of Play? Did you find him convincing? I did. Very. And in real life Jennifer Garner would be so much more effective than Robin Wright because of the cookie-baker exterior.

You know, CBS news affiliates in Boston have been reporting that Ben’s name keeps coming up in speculation about the Massachusetts senate seat if President Obama appoints John Kerry as Hillary Clinton’s replacement. A few days ago, when the story was circulating, skeptics kept saying, well, he doesn’t have the time, he has movies to make…

Affleck was supposed to star in a movie called Focus, a sexy comedy-thriller, opposite Kristen Stewart. And he’s just dropped out citing scheduling conflicts. That doesn’t free up his time completely though. Ben actually has three or four films in development so while a political run still seems unlikely, there may yet be a smutty angle to this situation… especially as it involves Kristen Stewart.

Already the tabloids had been rumouring that Jennifer Garner was anxious about Ben and Bella hooking up -- click here for a refresher. And it’s an easy headline too -- not only because of Stewart’s scandal earlier this year but also because, um, ahem, well, you know, Ben. So their combination? Please. It’s Great For Gossip. They don’t even have to actually work together and they’re already great for gossip, see?

Did Jennifer Garner kill it for everyone?

Did she learn from Jennifer Aniston?

I’m not convinced this is really how it went down, but the narrative, it’s an easy narrative, isn’t it? Almost as easy as seeing Aniston in a baggy sweater and calling her pregnant.